Legal experts point out the giant flaw in Trump's claims about rooting out Ukraine corruption

Legal experts are noticing that President Donald Trump wasn't asking for a real investigation of Joe Biden, only one that could provide fodder for the news media.

Witnesses in the impeachment inquiry have testified that Trump wanted Ukrainian president to announce an investigation into Joe Biden and his son Hunter in an interview with CNN, in exchange for congressionally approved military aid or a White House visit.

"Trump demanding a Zelensky announce an investigation of Biden, 'in front of a microphone” gives the game away,'" tweeted Jennifer Taub, a professor at Vermont Law School. "If the real goal was to investigate corruption, a CNN announcement would be the wrong approach. Genuine investigations are kept secret."

Asha Rangappa, a CNN contributor and former FBI agent, agreed the request betrayed Trump's lack of interest in rooting out corruption, as he's claimed.

"Just game this out to reveal sham," she tweeted. "Let’s say Ukraine had investigated Biden and decided to prosecute. What was the plan? Extradite VP Joe Biden to Ukraine?? Apart from that being ridiculous notion on its own, the U.S. doesn’t even have an extradition treaty with Ukraine."

Taub credited her attorney brother Adam Taub with pointing out the sham at the heart of Trump's defense, and he urged Democrats to make that a bigger part of their case against the president.